In a message dated 1/28/2006 7:44:26 AM Pacific Standard Time,
omnibibulous1@comcast.net writes:
There's nothing else tricky going on here. I'm a more or less
regular guy with a job who itemizes using Schedule A the usual stuff -
mortgage interest, real estate taxes etc. I'm not a professional
gambler.
Even if you did not keep a diary, I would:
1. Reconstruct your calendar of trips made to Las Vegas. Estimate the
losses on trips where this was true. Somewhere in your financial records
(check-book, credit card(s),ATM, etc) you will have a portion of this documented.
2. Your hotel/food although not deductible on SchA (not gaming losses) is
also a secondary proof that you were there on these days.
3. If you used a tracking card, I would request the win/loss statement(s) as
further documentation although they may not be all that accurate.
As others have mentioned, you don't need all this "ammunition" to file your
return. On SchA under misc. I believe you give an amount labeled gaming losses
that can equal the W-2 winnings but not exceed them listed on the front page
,1040, under other income.
Your personal recollections and the other backup "stuff" will only come into
play IF you are audited. I would at least try this especially if there were
significant losses incurred before the W-2G jackpots.
Good luck!
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